While social media and AI can be game-changing tools for learning new skills quickly, there are some home maintenance jobs that you should never tackle yourself – and fixing a heating system is at the very top of that list.
However, an alarming study conducted by BOXT for Gas Safety Week (14–20 September) has found that a third of young people have attempted to repair or maintain their boiler or central heating themselves to save money, with one in four turning to TikTok for heating DIY advice.
The survey, which interviewed 1,000 people aged 18 to 24, also found that one in four has used AI tools (such as ChatGPT or Gemini) for guidance, while one in five had watched YouTube tutorials.
Just a quick search on TikTok confirms this. Within seconds, I found a load of DIY videos on boiler problems – one offering step-by-step guidance on how to repair a leak and another showing you how to remove the casing (both of which require a registered engineer for safety reasons).
While boiler maintenance isn't the most exciting thing to fork out on (and online videos might make it look simple), the experts at BOXT have warned that it could result in costly repairs later down the line, along with serious health and safety implications.
Understanding the potential risks
“Damage an internal component and you could be facing an emergency call-out, replacement parts and potentially a voided warranty. But the financial cost is only part of the risk," says Adam Knight, Lead Gas Safe Engineer at BOXT.
"Get it wrong when working with a gas appliance and the consequences can be far more serious – from gas leaks and carbon monoxide exposure to electric shock and fire. There’s a huge difference between using TikTok to learn how to put up a shelf and using it to start taking apart your boiler."
Patrick Garner, Gas Safe Engineer at Heatable, adds that by "fixing" the system yourself, you may mask the original fault and unknowingly live with an underlying safety issue while it appears to work. "What worked on one boiler, in one set of circumstances, may be completely inappropriate for another!"
But with one in seven people (across all age groups) unsure of which jobs are safe to DIY and which are a no-no, it's clear to see that more conversations need to be had around home maintenance jobs. With that in mind, BOXT has created a traffic light system to make it easier to work out which jobs you can DIY and the ones to leave to a professional, which you can find below.
Adam Knight is a Lead Engineer at heating and cooling experts, BOXT. Adam brings over 17 years of industry experience, including 14 years at British Gas specialising in auditing, gas qualifications, and incident investigations, and now leads BOXT’s Tech Survey Team with specialist training in air conditioning and heat pump systems.
Patrick Garner is a Gas Safe registered engineer (Reg. No. 5949938) with 11 years of hands-on experience in domestic heating installations. He leads Heatable's installations team and has personally overseen over 2,000 boiler installations and heating system upgrades across the UK.
Which boiler jobs can I do myself?
🟢GREEN: Usually safe to carry out by homeowners when the manufacturer's guidance has been followed correctly.
- Bleeding your radiator
- Topping up boiler pressure
- Resetting your boiler
- Checking thermostat settings
- Replacing thermostat batteries
- Checking radiator valves are open
- Checking for low system pressure
🟠AMBER: "Proceed with caution" and ask an expert if you're feeling unsure.
- Cleaning magnetic filters (where recommended)
- Basic visual inspections
- Checking for obvious leaks around radiators or pipework
🔴RED: Never attempt these jobs yourself – you must call in a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- Removing the boiler casing
- Working on internal boiler components
- Gas pipework
- Gas valves
- Gas appliances
- Fault diagnosis involving combustion
- Replacing boiler parts
- Repairing leaks inside your boiler
- Anything involving the gas supply or flue
By referring to the traffic light system above and working with a qualified, registered Gas Safe engineer, you can avoid costly repairs, further damage and risks to both your home and health.
For more expert-backed advice, find out how much you can expect a new boiler to cost or learn the seven signs your boiler is about to break down (and how to stop each one from happening in the first place).
